This invention relates generally to surface alloying and more particularly to surface alloying by ion implantation.
In many instances, it is desirable to produce a coating having special characteristics on the surface of a metal. For example, it may often be useful to have a tough, wear-resistant coating of metal carbide on a steel substrate. Additionally, at times it may be desirable to complex minority solutes in alloys to prevent these minority solutes from adversely affecting surface properties, e.g., adhesion, corrosion resistance, etc., at higher temperatures. For example, in nickel based superalloys, titanium atoms tend to migrate to the surface at high temperatures and react with oxygen, forming titanium oxide. The titanium oxide particles, which nucleate and grow at the surface of the alloys, deleteriously alter the oxidation characteristics. The complexing of potentially troublesome minority solutes in alloys is referred to as solid-state gettering.